Comments from Website
author: In many of the cases reported, the argyria onset was after
the patient ceased taking
the silver solution.Comments from Physicians at
this article's end: None

Argyriasis. Report of a case (author's
transl)

Med Clin (Barc), 73: 9, 1979 Nov 25, 386-8

Abstract

A case of argyriasis in a 45-year-old
woman is reported. When
the patient was 34 she took for a period of 25 months a
silver-containing pharmacological product
(colloidal silicon with 0.5 percent of silver) in order
to treat an intestinal dyspepsia with diarrheic episodes.
A few months after
discontinuing the treatment a cutaneous pigmentation of a
greyish-blue color extending over the whole body,
developed. There was also discoloration of the nails,
hair, and of the oral and gingival mucosae.
The differential diagnosis with other conditions that
also develop anomalies of cutaneous pigmentation was
established. It is thought that the appearance of the
silver poisoning is due to different factors such as the
quantity of silver intake, the individual sensitivity to
the metal, and the greater or lesser period of exposure
to sunlight. The importance of the skin biopsy in order
to confirm the diagnosis is commented on. Typical
pathologic findings include the presence of silver
granules in the basal membrane of sudoriparous glands,
around the pilosebaceous follicles, and in the connective
tissue. Lastly, the authors
insist on the necessity to avoid the prescription of
silver-salt containing drugs as far as possible, since
the cutaneous pigmentation is irreversible.